1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display instruction apparatus, a display instruction method, and computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there are many types of instant messaging (IM) and IP phone in offices, with employees using information processing apparatuses, such as personal computers (PCs), connected to a network, and also using network devices, such as image forming apparatuses including printers and multifunction products (MFPs), connected simultaneously to the network, information storage servers, and the network. When these devices are used, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses indicating addresses of devices are required to be specified. When a user operates an information processing apparatus, specifying an IP address is burdensome for the user and is very difficult to understand. On the other hand, a scheme can be thought such that a name that is easy for the user to recognize is associated with an IP address. However, it is not easy to recognize the thing indicated by the name and, moreover, inputting such a name is cumbersome.
Therefore, as a scheme of making an instruction for a process on a network device, generally known are technologies of using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to perform a drag-and-drop operation in which a symbol, such as an icon, is dragged and dropped into a predetermined area, thereby making an instruction for a process on a network device.
A first conventional technology (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-84937) relates to a system including a host apparatus and an information processing apparatus connected to a network, wherein an icon that is subjected to a job process is dragged and dropped onto an icon representing the information processing apparatus, thereby making an instruction for the job process. In this technology, the information processing apparatus includes a unit that detects a possible process as a job, and the host apparatus receives the result indicative of the detection to make an instruction for the process.
Moreover, a second conventional technology (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-52093) relates to a control apparatus in which local network devices within home connected to a global network are stored with their network addresses and a Web page for display according to a visual map database is generated to remotely control the devices. In this disclosed technology, an icon representing a network device is dragged and dropped onto an icon representing another device. With this, settings can be made that cause a plurality of devices to successively perform processing.
However, in the first conventional technology, the icon that is subjected to the drag-and-drop operation, that is, the dragged icon, is an icon representing data, such as an icon representing document data, that is subjected to a job process. Therefore, it is merely possible to specify data to be processed for one network device for executing a job.
Moreover, in the second conventional technology, an icon representing a network device is dragged and dropped onto an icon representing another network device. However, a process to be executed by this operation is, for example, a combined process, such as process A+process B. Therefore, load distribution among the network devices cannot be achieved.
Furthermore, it is complicated for individuals to install a newly-registered network device. There is also a problem that, for example, a person may fail to notice the placement of a new network device without delay and therefore may not be able to advantageously use the newly-introduced network device. Furthermore, for the purpose of speedy operation, selection of an optimum network device and load distribution among a plurality of networks become important problems.
Moreover, for communications among users, a user first selects a way of communications, such as telephone, mail, or IM. Therefore, a more direct instruction is desirable, instead of further selecting a communication counterpart.